Fresh Fruit and First Contact
by dianaforester
Summary: A late shuttle and a retirement party create a crossroads for the dynamic duo.


Title: Fresh Fruit and First Contact   
  
Author: Diana Forester (dianaforester@hotmail.com)  
  
Rating: PG 13  
  
Disclaimer: These Characters are not mine  
  
Spoilers: Endgame   
  
Category: J/C  
  
Author's Note: Grams and kilos and tons of thanks to Squirrelly for a superb beta. If you find errors, they're all mine.  
  
Summary: A late shuttle and a retirement party create a crossroads for the dynamic duo.  
  
Dedication: To Kim, for badgering me for more.  
  
I walked into the ballroom with more than a hint of trepidation. My shuttle had been late, so I'd missed the actual ceremony, and all that remained was the celebration. I was suffering from space lag; the time difference from DS9 to San Francisco is almost 14 hours. Right then I should have been fast asleep, but instead I'd been awake for 23 hours. I was giddy, so glad to be off that infernal shuttle that I would have had a grin plastered to my face if I hadn't been exhausted. What I wouldn't have given to have a Starship at my beck and call once again, instead of relying on the Starfleet shuttle service.  
  
And of course there were the nerves. I hadn't seen these people since we got back from the Delta Quadrant. I didn't know how they'd react, what would have changed between us, but in my gut I knew that things wouldn't be the same now that we were back, not really. There had been reunions and birthdays and old flames that I didn't know about. I used to know everything there was to know about the crew of Voyager, but now time has passed, and I know that for all they've changed, I too, am a different person than I was a year ago. My time on Cardassia has altered me somehow. I don't know the extent of the transformation, or how it will affect my life, but it's begun to make itself known. In the way I listen for small sounds, the way I instinctively look for someone following me. The way my dress uniform seems confining compared to the looseness of Cardassian civilian attire.  
  
Unconsciously I tugged at one of the white sleeves. The new pip did nothing to make me more comfortable in this uniform, but I made a conscious effort to relax. I grabbed a glass of champagne from a passing steward, and surveyed the crowd.   
  
There were four types of people in the room. The first were the brass. There was enough rank to sink one of the cities in Tom's ocean world. But then, there always is when anything to do with Voyager comes up. They all want to tie their names to the miracle of her return. Their white uniforms comprised about half the room.   
  
The next group sported civilian wear. They, like the brass, were there to be seen. Though they could wear any colour of the rainbow, black and white were predominant. Even the ambassador to Betazed, normally a supernova of hue and texture, wore a simple black gown. She seemed to understand that this was a Starfleet gathering, and therefore reserved in its own way.   
  
The crew of Voyager wore dress uniforms, but as befitting their rank, had on grey coats. They seemed halfway between the brass and the black-clad stewards in every sense. Not invisible servants for sure, but not the attention seeking VIPs. I could feel their unease at the tone of the gathering. There's no doubt they wanted to be here to support their compatriot, but I think most of them would much rather be celebrating over pints at Sanderine's than at HQ. I couldn't have agreed more.  
  
Taking a sip of my drink, I looked for familiar faces. Tuvok nodded at me from across the floor. He was an island of calm amid the buzz, and I found myself relaxing a notch at the sight of him. It has been an honour and a pleasure to serve with the Vulcan security officer. I was delighted to hear of his recovery, and of his decision to return to the Academy.   
  
Tom and B'Elanna caught my eye next. Tom gestured to his collar and then to my own, following it with a thumbs up. I smiled and shrugged. My promotion had only come through an hour ago, and hadn't yet made it through the Voyager gossip chain. I am sure that it only remained secret because the rest of the crew was here, while I was stranded on a malfunctioning shuttle, and then whisked away to a preliminary mission debriefing before finally being allowed to leave. I was about to try to escape when they finally declared my mission a success, gave me the pip and let me go. I almost killed them, as the new rank meant replicating a new uniform, and cost me precious seconds getting ready.   
  
B'Elanna smiled warmly at me. She was beautiful as always, her belly just starting to show the second child she was carrying. Though I knew she wanted to speak to me right away, she instead gestured discreetly with her eyes, telling me the way to go. Grinning, I headed off toward the huddle she indicated.   
  
Through the crowd I caught glimpses of civilian clothes, and I knew she was right. The guest of honour was there, amongst the knot of people. Carefully I wove my way through, when what I really wanted to do is burst forward and see my long lost friend. As I got closer I could hear that familiar voice, the one that used to joke and whisper and conspire with me on the bridge. The one that always knew what Tom was going to do next, the one that would share bottles of wine and spar with me into the early hours of the morning.   
  
I came here to reconnect for sure, but also to see if there's still time for something more. With a final breath, I pushed through the last layer of the crowd and come face to face with my best friend, and, gods willing, soul mate.   
  
*  
  
I tugged unconsciously at the sleeve of my civilian clothing. After so many years in uniform, it felt strange, like the cut was wrong, and I wished I were in one of those stiff-necked Starfleet dress uniforms. All around me were Very Important People, practically climbing over each other to shake my hand and congratulate me. All evening I'd endured toasts to my skills, both aboard Voyager, and in the past year dealing with the refugee situation after the Dominion war. Though it's been two years since the fighting stopped, that area of the Quadrant is still in shambles. My work there was tremendously rewarding, but I decided that, Voyager aside, Starfleet wasn't the place for me any longer. I couldn't work within their rules, and I needed to take some time off to figure out how I wanted to spend the rest of my life.   
  
So I retired, and that's what this horse and pony show was all about. My retirement. I'd quit the service, and they'd brought the stewards, the band, and of course the people. After shaking a final few hands, I pushed through the mass of people. And found myself face to face with the very person I'd been hoping to see all night. Not that the rest of the crew wasn't important, but it was my best friend I really wanted to catch up with. So I cracked my first real smile of the evening, and saw it mirrored a few steps away. And I figured maybe the night would end better than I'd hoped.  
  
*  
  
I got a smile, a broad, life saving smile for my efforts, and knew instantly that it was all worthwhile, everything from Cardassia to fighting with indignant dignitaries. Opening my mouth, I spoke to my best friend for the first time in a year.  
  
"Hello, Kathryn."  
  
I barely got the words out before I was caught up in her arms as she bear hugged me.   
  
"Hello Chakotay."  
  
For a moment we stood like that, two bodies forming our own little island in a sea of people. I felt the warm smooth skin of her back, breathed in her perfume, and knew at once that I was home. In all our years on Voyager, I never once touched her this way, but somehow it was exactly as I expected.  
  
And then she released me to hold me at arms length, squinting suspiciously at me. "When did you get that other pip?" Was that jealousy in her voice?  
  
I shrugged. "About an hour ago."  
  
She shook her head before leaning in to kiss me gently on the cheek. "Congratulations," she whispered.   
  
She mesmerized me, standing there before me in a floor-length navy gown that left just enough to my imagination to keep me sane. "Kathryn, you're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen."  
  
She blushed, smiling widely, "thank you, Chakotay." And she leaned in to kiss me again. This time her lips lingered next to my ear, tickling just a little.  
  
Stunned, it took me a moment to realise we've suddenly become the centre of attention. "Can I have this dance?" I hoped like hell she'd say yes, because otherwise I wasn't going to make it through the night. She kissed me, and I couldn't even talk to her about it because everyone who was anyone was standing around gawking at us.  
  
"Yes."  
  
I let out a breath and led her to the dance floor.   
  
*  
  
It's funny, looking back on it, that as much as we had to talk about that night, we both held our peace, knowing that we'd speak eventually. So instead we danced and danced and danced, never missing a beat, moving together as if we'd spent our years in the Delta Quadrant practicing for this night. It was only when the band took a break that we finally stopped, splitting to make the rounds with our crew. From that moment on the dignitaries and stewards became part of the backdrop of Voyager's first reunion. The grey moved out onto the dance floor, leaving the brass as some sort of blanched wallflowers. Kathryn and I joined them; dancing and laughing with our crew, celebrating together our life back home.  
  
At 5 in the morning, as the party finally thinned out, I found my way back to Kathryn.   
  
"Come to my place for a nightcap?" she asked.  
  
I didn't bother to point out that night had long since passed, choosing instead to nod and follow her without question.  
  
We took the 'lift back to the officer's quarters where she was staying. From the penthouse in the high rise I looked out over the skyline of San Francisco, watching as Sol peeked its way over the horizon for the first time. It was a marvellous sight, seeing the warm, clear star of Earth rising. After a year of living on Cardassia, seeing that sickly green star come over the skyline day after day, I sank into the sofa, never taking my eyes off the window. I sipped slowly at my brandy and wondered if I'd ever tire of watching the sunrise. I doubted it, as I waited patiently for Kathryn to return from her room.  
  
*  
  
I walked out of the bedroom, to find Chakotay sitting on the sofa facing the sun. His eyes were closed, and for a moment I thought he was just basking in the light. But then I noticed the rise and fall of his chest, and knew he'd fallen asleep. At first I was annoyed; finally we had a chance to talk, to lay everything on the table, and he couldn't even keep his eyes open. But then I did some mental calculations, realised he'd probably been awake for almost 30 hours, and I couldn't help but smile. He deserved the sleep.   
  
Walking to one of the closets, I found a spare pillow and blanket. Gently I laid him on the soft leather couch, pulled off his boots and covered him with the blanket. I polarized the window slightly, letting the sun shine through, but dimming its brilliance so it wouldn't wake him. It wasn't until that moment that I recognized my own exhaustion and headed to bed.  
  
*  
  
I woke slowly, reluctantly. I knew I'd been asleep for a couple of hours, but it didn't feel nearly long enough. Someone was stroking my hair, calling me gently by my name, my real name.  
  
"Chakotay…"  
  
Stroke.  
  
"Chakotay…"  
  
I hadn't heard my name in over a year. And now, for the first time since landing on Cardassia I felt secure.   
  
It was the word 'Cardassia' that made my eyes flash open in panic, expecting I'd been captured. I sat up with a start, but when I looked into the face of Kathryn Janeway, I relaxed, remembering the previous night.  
  
She looked concerned. "I'm sorry, Chakotay, I didn't mean to startle you. I woke up and was getting a light breakfast, and thought you might like some too."   
  
She reached onto the coffee table beside her and offered me a plate of fruit. I reached out slowly and took a morsel. It was a slice of nectarine, and as I slid it into my mouth, I didn't think anything could taste better. I punctured the fruit slowly, and its sweet juices filled my mouth. Never had I tasted anything so intense.  
  
*   
  
I watched Chakotay take the slice of fruit, and the care with which he savoured it.   
  
"It's fresh, imported from the Okanagan valley yesterday." Admiral Manning had given me the fruit basket as a retirement gift. I didn't know who Admiral Manning was, but his gift was wonderful.  
  
Slowly, Chakotay opened his eyes. "I think that's the first time I've eaten a nectarine since before Voyager."  
  
And then I realised what Cardassia had meant to him. While the rest of us were working and enjoying our time back home, he was still in enemy territory, still on the edge of civilisation. I reached out, placing my hand upon his knee.   
  
"You're back now."  
  
He smiled lazily. "Yes, yes I am."  
  
I indicated the plate again, "would you like some more?"  
  
He shook his head, "Not right now. I think I need to go back to sleep."  
  
"I know how you feel. It's only 08:00. I need to make my body understand that it's retired now and can sleep in now and then."  
  
He laughed lightly, and I stood to put the fruit into the stasis machine. When I got back he'd stripped off the outer layers of his dress uniform, leaving him in a white t-shirt and pants. Once more I lay my hand on his knee.   
  
"I'll let you get some more sleep."   
  
I started to leave, but he caught my hand. Gently, he pulled me toward him, sitting me next to him. My heart started to hammer and I could feel his breath as he whispered: "Aren't you tired?"  
  
At that moment, every part of my body was awake and aware. But I understood his implications, and to tell the truth I was planning on going back to bed before he grabbed a hold of me.   
  
So I nodded.   
  
He chuckled, pulling me down beside him on the couch, spooning up behind me. I felt his lips against my head, before he settled in and fell asleep. I was surprised to find I wasn't far behind him, and I wondered if he'd been planning to make his move all along, or if this had been a spontaneous decision.  
  
All I knew for sure is that if he hadn't done something, I would have when he woke. 


End file.
